Medicine 2021 - Part 3

[SATSmadness]

Hoping for interviews and offers all round, now and well into next year !

[WithIcePlease]

DD just called. Nottingham invitation had been in her spam folder for 4 hours. She checks it regularly but busy with school stuff

[redtulip12]

Great news @WithIcePlease. I had heard that last year lots went into spam folders. @bimkom worth telling your ds if he hasn't already checked.

[bimkom]

Thanks we have been checking spam. Our email system is a little complicated, but definitely can't see anything

[Needmoresleep]

Another with a medical student DD.

It is not unusual to have somewhere other than Oxford as your first choice. The courses are very different. Two in one of DDs early tutor groups had received Oxford offers but for various reasons had preferred Bristol.

The superiority of the BMAT schools is an attitude that lingers. DD is now intercalating in London. At the moment learning, including a lot of project work, is on-line. Most, including her sports group, have been lovely and welcoming with only a bit of teasing about Bristol's party reputation. However one group, all friends, were very sniffy about what they perceived as a lesser University. Or they were until they realised that DD was doing fine, possibly better than they were. Hopefully they will have dropped the attitude before they start F1.

There are differences. London students appear more grade conscious, picking courses where you are more likely to get a higher grade. They also also seem more spoonfed, if that is the right word. Their learning to date seems to have had more of an academic focus, with plenty of exams. You are told what you need to know, and you learn it. With PBL DD has spent a lot more time in care settings and feels she has had to take more responsibility for her own learning. Better or worse is hard to tell, though interestingly almost all her project groups have allocated her the patient facing elements. DD is happy with the Bristol approach, and suggests that in Swindon, which takes both Oxford and Bristol clinical years students, neither group feels that their education was inferior.

In terms of interviews, some come through early, but lots don't. DD had all three of hers in one week in mid March, with two invitations arriving after Christmas. It was difficult in the sixth form common room as by then her friends were making plans for the next year. All I can suggest is making constructive plans for interesting things that might be done in a gap year. By the time her offer came through, DD was looking forward to having a year out and so asked, and was allowed, to defer.

[Powergower]

Wow and well done to all who secured interviews last week. Still waiting to hear from 3 unis here and think it will be new year now. Ds fine with that as he's been busy, school are now testing every subject every week in case of cags, but also preparing for exams. Lots of pressure but good for ds. He usually revises last minute at the end of the year but is now working every day and scoring good A/ high B in every test so it's been very confidence boosting. Hoping to hear back soon from keele and Liverpool.

[MaddieElla]

Praise the Lord we have an interview. @Powergower it's Keele so hopefully you'll hear soon.

[WithIcePlease]

@MaddieElla
Good news 🎉

[SATSmadness]

Congrats for your DD @MaddieElla it's presumably been a long wait whilst Keele ploughed their way through all those additional forms submitted.

Applicants at DD's school were cursing the amount of work involved.

[emummy]

Hurray @MaddieElla!

[Powergower]

Brilliant news Maddie!

[opoponax]

You've made my day @MaddieElla!

[redtulip12]

Great news @MaddieElla

[MaddieElla]

Keele this morning and another for Nottingham/Lincoln tonight as she was leaving work.

She is BEAMING today.

[LaLaFlottes]

Well done on all of the interviews!

@MaddieElla I know it’s been a long wait and I am absolutely delighted for you abs DD. Like buses, you wait and wait and then two come at once - yay!!!!

[SATSmadness]

Two invites on one day ! Go @MaddieElla 's DD !

[Millylovespuddles]

Happy days - great to hear more good news @MaddieElla

[Card1gan]

Grrr, I'm so angry! DD has had a rejection from Plymouth because they have completely moved the goalposts. Their previous requirements were predicted grades of AAA and UCAT of over 2400 to guarantee an interview, so DD applied as a safe bet for interview with A A A A predictions and UCAT well over 2400. This was on their webstite and mentioned several times during their virtual open day in the summer.

They have repeatedly said, prior and post 15th October application deadline, that they wouldn't raise the UCAT threshold so have instead changed the A-level grade criteria to having to have an A* achieved or predicted in a Science. DD knew that she didn't have this so would have applied somewhere else that she'd have more chance of being successful.

Still not heard anything from Cardiff, Manchester or Southampton, has anyone else heard from these?

[LaLaFlottes]

@Card1gan I’m so sorry to hear this. That must be so frustrating as everyone spends so much tome carefully researching and applying strategically.
Time to focus on the other 3 though - DD has not applied to any of those but I’m pretty sure I’ve not seen anyone post on here with interviews for any of these. She has quite a lot of friends who have applied to Southampton and Cardiff and I think she would have mentioned if those had started coming through.

So there is still every reason to hope for 3 interviews which would still be great - hang in there through, that must have been tough re Plymouth.

[opoponax]

I'm so sorry to hear this too @Card1gan. Really difficult for your DD. My DS applied to Manchester and hasn't heard anything yet. No interview invites reported on TSR but allegedly some rejection emails have been sent out. I'll post here and tag you if my DS gets any news.

[MaddieElla]

I was hoping no one here was affected by the Plymouth debacle. We can all understand having to up UCAT boundaries if demand is high. You apply knowing that in previous years you’d be hopeful of an interview. This year has meant people have missed out due to the unprecedented applications, but you apply knowing that that’s a possibility. For Plymouth to actually change the A Level grades needed AFTER people have applied is really bloody awful. I know they can let predict the number of applications but they can assess those candidates in the same way other Universities do. Really feel for your DD but fingers crossed those other interview offers come soon.

[MaddieElla]

Also thanks to everyone for your good wishes for DD. I was starting to give up hope and she’s now so over the moon.

The only thing is both of the interviews are on the same day. At least she’ll be in interview mode but she’s got a lot of prep to do in a short space of time.

[WithIcePlease]

@Card1gan
I would feel angry too. Completely unacceptable.

DD has one interview at the mo but it's a long game. I don't expect to hear from Liverpool until after Christmas and possibly later this month for Southampton but I'm not holding my breath.

[SATSmadness]

@MaddieElla OMG what were the chances of that !

Any chance of getting one of them moved ? Are they spaced out enough to make sure that any potential delays to the first one won't impact the second ? Things don't always run to plan timewise when technology is involved.

[MaddieElla]

She didn’t get a choice and doesn’t want to aggravate them by ringing and asking

One is at 9am and the other at 3pm so it should be fine. I’ll be on the school run with younger DD both times so she’ll have peace and quiet. The morning one (Keele) is done in two sessions (?) but she’ll still have plenty of time to get her head in the game for the other. Just hope she doesn’t get the courses mixed up

[SATSmadness]

Are they both the same style of interview ?